ASIA/SOUTH KOREA - Bible in Korean: landmark event in Korea, valid tool for evangelisation

Friday, 14 October 2005

Seoul (Fides Service) -Koreans have been familiar with the Bible for 220 years ago but at last they will be able to read the entire Bible in their own language, thanks to an initiative undertaken by the local Catholic Church. This landmark accomplishment will certainly help the spiritual growth of Korea’s Christians and also promote evangelisation. The new complete Bible will replace an ecumenical translation which was incomplete.
The news was given by Bishop Andreas Choi Chang-mou, President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea, who said: “We hope this work will renew and vivify the life of Christians as a useful tool for lectio divine liturgy, study and personal prayer”.
The volume was presented at a recent Assembly of the Bishops’ Conference presided by Cardinal Stephen Kim, present also representatives of other Christian Churches in Korea. “The translation will help people feel the presence of God in their lives. The Word of Life, the Bible is unique because it nourishes our life”, the Cardinal said and he remembered with gratitude Fr . Joseph Im Seung-pil who died in 2003 after devoting his whole life to the work of translating the Bible.
The new Holy Bible is the fruit of 17 years of research and revision by scholars, experts and theologians. It is published by the Korean Bishops’ Biblical Commission presided by Bishop. John Chrysostom Kwon Hyok-ju of Andong.
The book was produced following the following criteria: translation suited to modern Korean, faithful to the original Greek or Hebrew so as to being the Word of God closer to the people of the third millennium. The Bishops encourage Catholics and all Korean Christians to make good use of the new Holy Bible for daily reading and prayer and as an essential point of reference for Christians living in a context of religious and cultural relativism. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 14/10/2005 righe 26 parole 268)


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